We Took A Huge Step Back

[RavensAllTheWay]

Where do I start?

Well we played much better football than the Patriots for 3 quarters. But last I checked, the game was at least 4. And we stopped playing football after we took the 20-10 lead early in the 4th.

I thought we were past this. Dumb penalties, not being able to finish games, losing our heads at the wrong time. Not being able to recover from big plays or penalties, like even though the PI on Webb on the Pats next drive was a horrendous call, we didn't recover and the Patriots scored on third down from a few yards out.

What was up with the decision to try and sneak with Flacco on third and short against Wilfork and Warren? Why not give it to McClain or McGahee, who didn't even see the field today? Also, why the CONSTANT checkdowns to Rice even when they weren't working? In a big game like this against a team who knows us really well, we just can't put the entire 4th quarter and overtime offensive load on one guy. Especially after they had been game planning against him all week because of the blowout last January. But that's a distant memory.

And with Flacco, his numbers were really really good and flashy. But don't be fooled because he had no composure on the field when the game was on the line and we had chances to win. He didn't play well when it mattered, which more than nullifies his good stats. I was expecting him to come through in the clutch because he usually does, but again, no composure or rhythym.

The difference between us and the Patriots was that they showed up when the game was on the line. If we wanna keep playing all our playoff games on the road and fall behind the Jets, Steelers, Patriots and Texans, then great. I know it's still early and these current AFC standings will not stand, but if were on the outside looking in come December and January, I'm gonna look at [i]this[/i] game.

The only two positives I can get from this game is 1 the fact that we have an awful opponent next week (Bills) at home, as opposed to playing another playoff caliber team after a deflating and demoralizing loss like this. And 2 if we play the Patriots in the playoffs, were gonna kill them again.

So I'm leaving it at that. Really really really tough loss.

[K-Dog]

Huge?

Isnt that over stating things a bit?

[Ed_Reed20]

How is a 23-20 loss to a team that had two weeks to prepare and has one of the greatest coaches and QBs of all time taking a huge step back? Seriously...

Sure, it was painful loss and I'll be angry about it till next Sunday but this L wasn't a "huge" step back dude.

[MagicianCamille]

We did not take a huge step back. This is the 4th tough road game of the season and we've only played 6 games in total so far. We had to play AT the Jets, AT a division rival who usually beats us in Cincinatti, and then another AT a division rival who usually beats us in Pittsburgh. This time we had to play AT a team who usually destroys us (save last year when we crushed them) and it came down to OT. There was no huge step back here, we've had an incredibly tough opening schedule.

I agree we made a few too many mistakes and the offensive play-calling needed to be better in that situation, but I think you're losing perspective on the big picture here.

[RavensAllTheWay]

I'm not saying we won't step forward again and recover from this, but I am saying that all the things we did wrong last season came back when the game was on the line.

[J-man]

This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.

[RavensAllTheWay]

[quote name='MagicianCamille' timestamp='1287351979' post='510954']
We did not take a huge step back. This is the 4th tough road game of the season and we've only played 6 games in total so far. We had to play AT the Jets, AT a division rival who usually beats us in Cincinatti, and then another AT a division rival who usually beats us in Pittsburgh. This time we had to play AT a team who usually destroys us (save last year when we crushed them) and it came down to OT. [b]There was no huge step back here, we've had an incredibly tough opening schedule.[/b]

I agree we made a few too many mistakes and the offensive play-calling needed to be better in that situation, but I think you're losing perspective on the big picture here.
[/quote]
That's no excuse for multiple mental lapses and hitting panic mode when the game was on the line. Yes, the Patriots (still a very good team) outplayed us and earned the win, but we have no excuses for our own mistakes.

[MagicianCamille]

[quote name='J-man' timestamp='1287352143' post='510962']
This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.
[/quote]

Well that's a little dramatic considering you have the freedom to choose which threads you do or do not open, as well as the option to simply not go to the boards immediately following a loss when emotions are bound to be high.

[quote]That's no excuse for multiple mental lapses and hitting panic mode when the game was on the line. Yes, the Patriots (still a very good team) outplayed us and earned the win, but we have no excuses for our own mistakes. [/quote]

I'm not making excuses for the mistakes, I'm disagreeing with your assertion that the loss was a huge step back for the team, and listed the outlying factors which make it not so.

[PuRock]

I don't think we took any step back, I'm still waiting for this to take that big step forward into hitting on all cylinders and coming out with consistent winning gameplans.

[RavensAllTheWay]

[quote name='J-man' timestamp='1287352143' post='510962']
This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.
[/quote]
I'm not a fairweather fan. I don't do that crap.

And were still a VERY GOOD team. One of the bests in the league. Just not today.

[Jamal]

[quote name='J-man' timestamp='1287352143' post='510962']
This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.
[/quote]
Don't take it that seriously man. People are just extremely frustrated, and I totally understand why.

Let people vent today. We will all feel better after a good night sleep.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='RavensAllTheWay' timestamp='1287352198' post='510970']
That's no excuse for multiple mental lapses and hitting panic mode when the game was on the line. Yes, the Patriots (still a very good team) outplayed us and earned the win, but we have no excuses for our own mistakes.
[/quote]


No, you can't excuse some of the mistakes that were make but that doesn't mean the team took a step back.

[ravensfan2424]

if this was a huge step back, will Ed Reed returning be a huge step forward?

[rlh445]

I mean I get that we've had a tough 6 games, but the Ravens are a pro football team. I hate using schedule as an excuse. It's not like we came into Foxborough and just got blown out, we were up by 10 in the fourth! We had them on their heels! At the end of the day, it didn't matter that we went to East Rutherford, or Ketchup Field, or Cinci because we were dominating. So to use that as an, 'It's okay wittle guys, we had a wough, wough schedewl,' just doesn't make me feel any better about giving the game to the Patties like that.

That being said, plenty of other teams would like to be 4-2 so here's hoping that we go on and perform better and hopefully face these jerks in the playoffs and rout them like we did last year. There's only one thing worse then losing to the Patriots and that's losing to the Steelers.

[J-man]

[quote name='Jamal' timestamp='1287352305' post='510976']
Don't take it that seriously man. People are just extremely frustrated, and I totally understand why.

Let people vent today. We will all feel better after a good night sleep.
[/quote]

But its every week.

[K-Dog]

[quote name='MagicianCamille' timestamp='1287352223' post='510973']
Well that's a little dramatic considering you have the freedom to choose which threads you do or do not open, as well as the option to simply not go to the boards immediately following a loss when emotions are bound to be high.

[/quote]


I am contemplating not coming on here after a loss too. At least not until all the "The sky is falling" threads are long since burried or deleted.

[McBoller]

I think if anything the team as a whole took a small step forward. Flacco looked good when he was allowed to, but I feel like the 4th quarter and OT playcalling kind of handcuffed him. This is great experience for the future. Id rather lose like this than get blown out. We definitely are due some respect even though it is disappointing to blow a lead like that. We have the Bills to look forward to next week.
Looking at our schedule, knowing that the toughest teams to come are all home game I still feel comfortable we can come out with 12 or 13 wins. Im disappointed in the loss, but Im not disappointed in the team AT ALL.

[jaege]

Yeah, that is a little harsh. The offense played fairly well for most of the game, with some really good play sprinkled in. The defense was lackluster for much of the game, but both just showed that the Pats had two weeks to prepare. The play calling, as usual was a let down. We often play too safe, which is what I think was the major contributing factor to us losing the game.

I would not say it was a step back so much as not a step forward.

It was disappointing, but we did not get blown out. It was close the whole way.

[RavensAllTheWay]

[quote name='rlh445' timestamp='1287352457' post='510989']
I mean I get that we've had a tough 6 games, but the Ravens are a pro football team. I hate using schedule as an excuse. It's not like we came into Foxborough and just got blown out, we were up by 10 in the fourth! We had them on their heels! At the end of the day, it didn't matter that we went to East Rutherford, or Ketchup Field, or Cinci because we were dominating. So to use that as an, 'It's okay wittle guys, we had a wough, wough schedewl,' just doesn't make me feel any better about giving the game to the Patties like that.

That being said, plenty of other teams would like to be 4-2 so here's hoping that we go on and perform better and hopefully face these jerks in the playoffs and rout them like we did last year. There's only one thing worse then losing to the Patriots and that's losing to the Steelers.
[/quote]
Very very good post.

Like I even said, we have the Bills next week. It's a chance to step forward again. And we are getting Reed back. This loss today was emotionally and physically draining, but it's not like we play another playoff caliber team again next week. I'm counting on us to recover and get the bad taste out of the mouth. Just right now, I'm frustrated.

[bmorefan444]

dude were fine! We lost a hard fought game to a good new england team. We didnt get blown out by the Detriot Lions. Huge step back? nah

[cursona pirate]

[quote name='J-man' timestamp='1287352143' post='510962']
This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.
[/quote]
I agree with you totally.

[D_UP]

Come on man, yes a tough loss. A huge step back no, the sky is not falling.

[jonnyloback76]

It was a pretty bad game where too many things happened to even say "this or that" cost the Ravens the game.

Someone can say Oher has a "quick first step" all they want. I'm gonna go ahead and say he gets false starts called against him. QBs are different to me. I don't know how much time I would give a LT to stop getting called for false starts, before I think a team might look at benching them. Not 2 seasons IMO.

Then there was last week against Orton. This week and Brady's number one wide was Deion Branch and Brady had 292 yards passing.

I asked it in another thread 2 weeks ago. The #whatever passing defense from last year, turned into the #1 passing defense this year, and didn't really change. How long could they keep it up? 4 games was the answer. Against Batch, Wallace, Sanchez - and a struggling Palmer that is getting booed by his own fans from what I read.

I'm not saying the "sky is falling", but this game looked a little to familiar to last year IMO. They are going to be facing 4-5 more QBs for the rest of the season that are capable of doing what Orton and Brady (don't care about the W) did.

If this conservative play calling doesn't stop and all these "safe play" rules DON'T stop and Harbaugh doesn't MAN UP up a little - the Saints game alone? HAHA.

[Bullet Six]

[quote name='MagicianCamille' timestamp='1287351979' post='510954']
We did not take a huge step back. This is the 4th tough road game of the season and we've only played 6 games in total so far. We had to play AT the Jets, AT a division rival who usually beats us in Cincinatti, and then another AT a division rival who usually beats us in Pittsburgh. This time we had to play AT a team who usually destroys us (save last year when we crushed them) and it came down to OT. There was no huge step back here, we've had an incredibly tough opening schedule.

I agree we made a few too many mistakes and the offensive play-calling needed to be better in that situation, but I think you're losing perspective on the big picture here.
[/quote]

You people just don't get it do you? To be a superbowl contender we HAVE to win these games. If not, we will do the same thing we do in the post season for the past 2 years. You think superbowl teams lose these games? No, they don't, thats why they are SUPERBOWL contenders.

On another note, I think some of this has to do with Cam's play calling. Every time the pressure is on, he clams up and turns into Billick jr. When Flacco was named starting QB in his rookie season, and we had no expectations of the team to do well, is when Cam called his best games. He does great without pressure and expectations.

[Moderator 2]

[quote name='J-man' timestamp='1287352143' post='510962']
This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.
[/quote]

Every board is reading the same way;

[bauer77]

sigh. another wasted thread that wasted minutes of my life when i opened it. last year we were all calling cam cameron a genius with his play calling and now we lose a few games and we should fire him. this forum i tell you what....

[bmorefan444]

This week: "Huge step back, we suck!"
Next week: "superbowl, here we come"

[rlh445]

[quote name='bmorefan444' timestamp='1287353403' post='511045']
This week: "Huge step back, we suck!"
Next week: "superbowl, here we come"
[/quote]

Ha, I doubt that, we're playing the Bills. In truth, it's hard for me to even be psyched about that game because I'm still so frustrated about this loss. Ahh, being a fan of this team certainly takes its toll.

[BrownsFan]

[quote name='J-man' timestamp='1287352143' post='510962']
This is why I'm done with this board, seriously, we lose, its a "huge step back," when we win, then we are the best team in the league. I'm done.
[/quote]

A mellow "Up Top" from me to you on this one..

[RavensAllTheWay]

I didn't say the sky is falling. I didn't say the season is done.

The thing is, this loss at least imo (idk about the rest of you who still think were damn near invincibile) raises this question. Are we really over last year? Because I don't see how anyone can disagree that the things we did wrong last season returned late in this game. I was thinking before the game that we would probably win and that no one in the league can beat us until I see us lose......and look what happened.

Yes I'm venting. And maybe this game was just a wake up call to the whole team, and it definitely was for me. But good teams don't do what we just did. We weren't good today. Were still an elite team OVERALL...but we can't do this again, and this loss makes it seem possible that we will do this again sometime down the road.